A Love To Outlast Time
by LovelyFangirls
Summary: Spoilers! Merlin is executed for use of magic, sending Arthur into a state of depression, but when a strange man with a big blue crate that's bigger on the inside offers to bring Merlin back, Arthur's world is spun out of control. (This is a shared story, written with Dr. Katie Holmes, this is our little baby :3) AmyxRory and lots of MerlinxArthur in the story as well ;)
1. The Strange Blue Crate

It was a normal day in the town of Camelot. There was an execution in the square-someone had been caught using magic. As the people gathered around the scene, and the executioner sharpened his blade menacingly, Arthur sat in his cell screaming. The prisoner was led out to face the crowd, the king declaring him an enemy of Camelot from his balcony. He never actually conversed with the town that he had poisoned with the idea that magic was evil. The crowd whispered among themselves as the magician was laid down against the wood block.

Arthur could peek through the bars, but he didn't want to see. He didn't want to see any more executions for the rest of his life. The king delivered his command to the executioner as Arthur watched in horror. The ax fell, and sliced through the ragged material that shielded his neck, the flesh, the bone. It separated the boy's head from his body and stuck to the block. Arthur cried out in pain. The boy had been a loyal servant to the crown for years. The witch hunter had accused him of magic and had sentenced him to death. The king complied instantly, but Arthur fought. He had drawn his sword with fierce eyes and fought for the life of this servant. He fought hard until he was finally defeated. They'd locked him in a cell to stay out of harm's way while the boy was killed, murdered in front of the townspeople. The executioner tossed the body on a wooden cart and bagged the head, leaving a bloody scarf to float through the square. Arthur cried. His best friend was dead. He whispered through the bars as they carried the corpse away, "Goodbye, Merlin."

Two days after the beheading of his best friend, Arthur was still taking his anger out on anyone who crossed his path. To cool his temper, he wandered into the woods and tried to loose himself. He didn't understand why that heavy feeling was still pressing down on his chest. Why did he miss that servant boy so much? Yes, they were friends, but should it still be hurting like this? Surely n- What was that noise? Drawing his sword, Arthur spun about, trying to locate the origin of that strange noise. What sort of beast-? Once more, he turned. There was a tall, blue wooden crate in the bushes.

There hadn't been one a second ago. It must be magic. Creeping forward, blade at the ready, the prince cautiously approached. He was only a few paces from the doors when they opened inward. A redheaded woman in skimpy clothing stepped out, calling after her. Was that a Scottish accent? What was a Scottish woman doing, appearing in his woods? And dressed like that... "C'mon, Rory! You too, Doctor! Honestly, how do I get anywhere with you two-oh. Um, hello." Her eyes widened as she noted the sword pointed at her.

"Who are you?"

"Right, then!" The Doctor leapt from the TARDIS, his normal five-year old personality kicking in playfully as he explained where he and his companions were.

"Camelot, England, turn of the century, the Once and Future king. He and his lover Merlin turned the entire way of life around time and time again. They used to say there was magic about here, but King Arthur's father used to burn...people...with magic..." The Doctor's cheerful expression faded when he saw Arthur. "Right then. Camelot knight, pointing his sword at us. Well, that's a new one."

"My name is Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot! You, sir, seem to know more about me than I myself know."

Arthur pointed his sword towards the skinny, and rather strangely dressed, man. Now that he thought about it, they all looked strange. There were two men and the woman with blazing hair, all standing before him, staring curiously. All seemed to have magically appeared from the large wooden crate that hardly seemed big enough to hold one of them, let alone three.

"State your name, warlock," he commanded.

"Ah. Yes. I'm the Doctor, this is Amy and Rory," the skinny man replied. He seemed to be the leader of the group. "If you'd take us to Merlin, I'm sure he could help explain-"

"Merlin is dead!" Arthur exclaimed, rather angrily. A prickling in his eyes warned that they were starting to tear up. "I don't know by what means you came to know him, but you, sir...you..."

"No. No, that's not right. Merlin isn't supposed to be dead; the century hasn't even turned yet! Uther is still alive, and you aren't king yet, so why...?" The Doctor stepped uncomfortably close to Arthur, their faces only inches from each other. "So why is Merlin dead?"

"He was executed...for use of magic."

"Oh, don't cry! Crying isn't for kings. I know you loved him and all, but it's really quite annoying. Come along, Ponds! and Prince Arthur. We've got a boy to save." The two 'ponds', as he called them, tagged behind the Doctor into the strange blue box.

"Well," the Doctor questioned, poking his head out to looked at Arthur. "Aren't you coming?"

Arthur stared at the man for a moment, blade still raised. Three strangely garbed people magically appear in his kingdom and expect him to follow into a tiny blue box? Not in this life- They said they could save Merlin. They were magic and said they could save Merlin. Forget what his father said-if there was the tiniest chance, he was going to seize it. Sheathing his sword, Arthur cautiously peaked through the door...and couldn't believe his eyes.

These people were definitely engaged in the dark arts. The inside of the box was huge. Before him was a staircase that led to a platform where a glowing column rose up to the domed ceiling. Doorways ringed the room, leading deeper into this strange world. Stumbling in, he jumped when the door slammed behind him. The Doctor was on the platform, twirling around, flipping levers, pushing buttons. Mesmerized, Arthur didn't notice until he was right in front of the control panel. His hand reached out, but was slapped away by the Doctor.

"Don't touch that! You'll blow up the Tribulon Galaxy with the controls set as they are!" Recoiling, Arthur backed up to the iron rails along the edge and grasped the cool medal. He wished he had grabbed his gloves. And the rest of his armor.

He was still thinking longingly about the rest of his weapons when a strange noise began echoing around him. The same noise as before! He had no words to describe it, and could only hold on tighter. He had a feeling that they were moving. The red-head-Amy- was standing next to him. She was obviously used to this-she only needed one hand to steady herself.

"So, you're a prince," she asked curiously. Arthur liked her accent, and found himself nodding. "That's cool. Are the legends true?"

"Legends? I-"

"We're here!" the Doctor announced, spreading his arms wide, a grin plastered across his face, "Come along then."

"What?"

The doctor grinned, "Don't you want to see what's behind the door?"


	2. An Abomination

"This is still the forest. Just outside Camelot." Arthur groaned as he looked out the door. "We haven't moved." The Doctor chuckled before nodding to Amy, who dragged the third man along as she darted from the mysterious box. "C'mon, Rory!" she ordered gleefully.

"You're right, Arthur, we haven't moved," the Doctor replied, "but we have gone to a different point in time. I know this may be a lot to take in, but you need to stay with me if we're going to save Merlin."

"Where are we then?" Arthur asked excitedly. "The day before the execution? Or the day of? Maybe I can save him!" Arthur bolted from the TARDIS and ran past the scrawny couple waiting just outside.

"Hey!" the redhead yelled. "Where are you going?!" "To save Merlin!"

"Arthur, wait!" the Doctor cried vainly, watching as the blond prince disappeared through the trees, sprinting for the walls of Camelot. Arthur tripped a few times, but didn't pause to dust himself off. He just ran. He'd been given a second chance. He'd stop the execution. He'd save Merlin, and then- Arthur stopped, one foot still raised to take the next step. Before him were the walls of Camelot, crumbled and worn, their color faded and the stones covered in vegetation. Camelot had long since fallen. Arthur ran into the town. What was happening? Where was everyone? Making his way to the castle, he found a strange building in the middle of it, made of a foreign material. He cautiously entered, peeking his head through first.

What he found was a massive library, books stuffed onto shelves that stretched to the ceiling. There were rows upon rows of bookcases, and a giant wooden table stood guard in the middle of the room. What was this place? Why had the Doctor taken him here? And what did any of this have to do with saving Merlin? The door behind him slammed open as the 'ponds' and Doctor joined him. "What is this place?" Arthur asked.

Panting, the Doctor replied, "The Camelot records..." -pant, pant- "It's...the entire history...of Camelot."

"Why bring me here?"

"We need to see...what changed in history." The 'pond' girl piped up.

"What do you mean, 'what changed'?"

"If Merlin dies, then he and Arthur never change the century-history itself is changed." The Doctor set himself at one of the many seats positioned around the large wooden table. "We need to find out what changed specifically and why."

Arthur was curious as he looked around the library. If what the Doctor said was true, then everything that happened to everyone he cared about was chronicled in these tomes. He looked at the spines. The language was slightly different than what he was used to, but he was able to figure out what they said. (These titles need to be italicized) Beginnings: The Origins of the Kingdom of Camelot. Victims of the Witch Hunts. King Uther, a Biography. He reached up to grab the last one, but his hand was swatted away. "Spoilers!" the Doctor warned. "You can't read any of this." He steered the prince to a chair and pushed him to sit. "You-stay here. We''ll find out what we need to." Miffed, he watched as the others weaved through the stacks.

He stood a bit when the Doctor gave a cry of frustration. "This is why I hate time changes! Nothing is where it's supposed to be!"

Amy poked her head around a shelf. "What are you on about?"

The Doctor pointed accusingly at the shelf behind him. "There are no books mentioning Merlin at all. All of them-POOF!" He grumbled for a second before picking up The Life of Arthur Pendragon. "Grab whatever you can find about Arthur and his father. Meet me at the table."

Arthur sat in his chair, bored out of his mind as the other three skimmed through the stacks of books on the table. He wanted to see what had changed in Camelot-explore the ruins-but curiosity kept him there. Occasionally, he found himself trying to peek in a book. One of them would notice and put a stop to it, but that made his desire to look grow. Why couldn't he read them? If they were his history, he deserved to know. His hand was inching towards another book when Rory burst from the shelves with a small, leather bound book held over his head. Arthur recognized that book. There was absolutely no way it was here...

"Look! I found King Arthur's journal!"

"How could- Why- Where did you get that?!" Arthur stammered.

Rory nervously replied, "I, uh... I found it on the- um, the shelf." The Doctor ripped the book from Rory's hands, twisting and turning it as he studied the outside. He even licked the cover before finally opening it. Arthur cringed as he saw the leather cover shine with the man's saliva.

The doctor flipped through pages, sometimes smirking or giggling. "What's so funny?" Amy asked, smiling before eagerly jumping to his side to read along.

Arthur listened to the three of them giggle furiously and blushed crimson, mortified. "That's my personal life, thank you!" he barked, snatching it away from the Doctor's grip before holding it close to his chest.

"So right about now, you've realized you've got 'the hots'-" He held up his hands, making quotation marks around those words "-for Merlin, yeah?" the Doctor asked, trying to can his laughter. "You've, um, dreamt about him-"

"Alright, I get it!" Arthur interrupted. Anything to stop that man from revealing his innermost thoughts.

"According to your diary-"

"Journal!"

"Sorry," the doctor grinned, "according to your _journal_, you married Guinevere, who stole your throne after putting the people under the assumption you were a traitor. I don't know how she managed that, but...Hold on. Had a thought, need to check something! Come along Ponds, Arthur."

They ran back to the TARDIS, filing in one by one just as the large blue crate starting making its funny noises again. Buttons flashed and he gripped at the rails for dear life. When the noise finally faded, the doctor grabbed the male Pond and pulled him to the door. Arthur and Amy followed curiously. They were in a strange land now. Glittering building rose high above their heads, taller than anything Arthur had ever seen. There was no grass, no trees, but hard black ground underfoot. Giant, colorful beasts roared past. They didn't seem interested in leaving their path or attacking any of the people. Everyone around them was dressed in clothes as strange as the three by his side. His attention was caught by a woman holding a rectangular blue stone to her ear. She was talking to it. Somehow, the world had gone mad in the few seconds he had left it.

The Doctor grabbed the attention of a young lady before pulling Rory into his arms and planting a firm kiss on his lips. That sent the woman into hysterics as people yelled at them. Some pushed against each other, trying to get closer. These people were grouping in an intimidating fashion. "Okay..." The Doctor started backing up. "I think we should run. Yes. Yes, run!" he screamed as the now mob of angry people chased them back into the TARDIS.

"That's it!" The Doctor exclaimed, rather irritated.

"What's it?" Amy asked, as she helped Rory wash his mouth.

The Doctor frowned, "Without the calming influence these two began, then... being gay would be equivalent to being an abomination. And civilization is way behind. Did you see their cars? Totally fifty years ago!"

Rory sighed, looking at the Doctor. "Did you have to kiss me again? Arthur's right there; why didn't you use him?"

"I don't know him well enough!"

"You kiss strangers all the time," Amy reminded him, leaning her hip against the control panel.

The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe because he's taken. I don't know! Don't ask me these things when I'm busy." Once again, he set the blue box to moving. "Aright, here's the plan. We're going to go back to the point where history changed. Not only do we have to find out what that crucial moment was, but we have to avoid Arthur's past self."

The doctor turned to face the small crowd of companions grinning, "Any questions?"


	3. A Change of Clothes

Arthur stared at the Doctor. "That's it?" he demanded sarcastically. "Just travel to my past and magically fix things?"  
>"Obviously," the Doctor grinned. "Do it all the time. Now get ready, 'cause we're here!"<br>Ushering them out the doors, the Doctor took the lead as they made their way to Camelot. Arthur easily pulled up alongside him. "What day is this, then?"  
>"The day the witch hunter came to town."<p>

The witch hunter was an ugly man. With unshaven beard, black knee-length boots, and the shackles he carried on his hip that jangled menacingly. His rough features were accompanied by his nature, which was cruel and heartless. The man would accuse whomever he pleased, taking them in for torture and breaking them down piece by piece. Many innocent people had gone in for questioning, and had confessed simply because they were too broken to do anything other than that.  
>The man didn't care if you were innocent. He got paid by the witch. Arthur remembered sitting down for a meal with the man, who'd striped the meat free of bone with his bare hands and shoved it into his mouth. Arthur trembled, remembering the man. "You don't want to run into him sir."<br>The doctor spun around, giving Arthur a confused look, "Why is that?"

"This man breathes fire, and will take down anyone he can accuse. You have a flying box and dress strangely." Arthur replied, "You're as good a target as any."  
>The doctor nodded. "Alright then." he grinned, "We'll all need to find some better attire."<br>"Are you saying we get to dress like we're from this century?" Amy beamed, "Fancy dresses and elegant hair?"  
>"What century are you thinking of?" The doctor asked, "Unless you're a noble, its plain cloth and dirty hair."<p>

Arthur shot a glare at the two. "Oh, Sorry about that." The doctor smiled.  
>"Well," Rory stuttered, "Maybe we could pass as guests of the palace? Couldn't Arthur-"<br>"Yes, you could appear to be my guests, my father would have no-"  
>The doctor held up his hand as a 'shut up' notion, "Great idea. What brilliant idea do you have if past you shows up?"<br>"Past me?"  
>"Yes!" the man barked, "have you not been listening?"<p>

"I have," Arthur responded defensively. "I just-"  
>"No matter now," the Doctor sighed. "You'll just have to go undercover with us. Follow me."<p>

Together, they crept through the homes of the village. The Doctor stooped at a clothesline stretched across a small yard. "Take your pick," he said encouragingly. Rory found brown trousers and a tunic; Amy found a plain blue dress. The Doctor seemed torn between a blue shirt and a green one. Arthur snatched the blue one off the line before he could decide. He didn't need to change his trousers-they would work as they were. The Doctor picked a pair of pants and they hurried away. They changed in a small alley courtyard, backs to each other. Stashing their clothes in a crate, they examined each other head to foot.

"Hang on," the Doctor said. He stooped down to scoop up a handful of mud from the ground. "Amy, Rory, you should do this too." He came up to Arthur and smeared the mud across his face. The prince let out a yelp and tried to duck out of the madman's grasp, but the Doctor held him firmly. "You do understand the meaning of the word 'undercover', don't you?"  
>Arthur sighed and stopped struggling as mud was rubbed into his hair. When that was done, the Doctor pulled a mirror from his coat and brought it over to the prince. Arthur didn't recognize himself in the mirror. All he saw was a dirty peasant. The Doctor was obviously pleased with the result and smeared some mud artfully across his face.<p>

"There. Now, we are a family just come from the countryside. Amy and Rory, you two are married. Arthur and I are Rory's brothers." The doctor smiled before wiping a bit of the mud from his hands to Amy's dress. "My name is John, and Arthur will be Kay. Everybody got it?"  
>"Why can't <em>we<em> have fancy names?" Amy demanded.  
>"No need," the Doctor replied. "Amelia is a name fit for a princess. And Rory is fine too. Now let's get a move on!"<br>They strolled through the streets until the Doctor started towards a woman weaving a basket on the side of a fountain. "Hello," he said softly.  
>She turned towards him, and the others saw the white clouds on her eyes; she was blind. "You're not from here," she stated. The Doctor nodded.<p>

Whispering, the Doctor asked, "You're a seer, aren't you? You don't have to say it out loud." The woman nodded. Her hands never stopped weaving. "Amazing," the Doctor breathed. "Can you tell me where Prince Arthur is right now?"

"Which one?" she asked dryly.

The Timelord chuckled. "You're good. Very good." He smiled at her for a second. "The one from today, please."  
>"With the king and that evil man in the great hall of the castle."<br>The Doctor thanked her, and they left. Throughout the town, they heard whisperings of the witch finder's arrival.  
>"Where are we going?" Rory finally asked.<br>"To find Merlin. Our window of opportunity is small, but we still have to talk to him."

The doctor led the trio to the gates of the castle where they were stopped a guard who might not have taken his job a little too seriously. "Who are you and what do you want?" the guard questioned, holding his chin up and barely looking at them.  
>"We need to see the boy Merlin urgently, would you mind letting us slip in for a moment?"<br>"No one goes in or out unless by order of the royal family." he replied sharply.  
>"Then would you mind sending word to him? It's urgent, and if we can't get in he must come out." the doctor smiled.<br>"Who are you then?" the man asked.  
>"I'm John, Smith that is, and this is my brother Kay, and my brother Rory, and his wife Amelia." he lied.<p>

The guard looked Amelia up and down, causing Rory to glare a little. The guard called for a servant stationed by the door and whispered in his ear. The boy ran into the castle with haste. The doctor smiled. "Thank you."  
>For a while, the group waited. They just waited by the door. It was a good amount of time before Merlin finally appeared, led by the boy. Arthur felt his heart drop when he saw him. Just his usual cheerful self. He felt a few tears heat his eyes.<br>"Right then." Merlin started, seemingly curious, "Who are you?"

The doctor repeated his introductions, but Arthur stopped him short of his name. "I'm Ar-"  
>"Kay." the doctor interrupted. "This is my brother Kay." he nudged Arthur with his elbow.<br>"Right. Kay." Arthur looked toward his feet, "My name is Kay."  
>Merlin gave Arthur a curious look, "Don't I know you?"<p>

Arthur wanted to talk _NOW_, but the guard at the front gate would be trouble. "I'd prefer it if we could talk else where." Arthur replied.  
>That's when the doctor stepped in, whispering the faintest of words into Merlin's ears. Arthur looked to the doctor in confusion, because Merlin immediately complied, following them away from the gate and through the city. Arthur tagged along in the rear, listening to Amy and Rory talk while the doctor chatted with Merlin. He listened to them giggling and Rory fiddling with his clothes. Then they started talking about the doctor.<p>

"Do you trust this, doctor man?" Arthur asked, gaining their attention.  
>"With everything." Amy replied, almost on instinct.<br>"Why?"  
>Rory smiled, "He's never let us down. If anyone can save Merlin, it'll be him."<br>"Mind you though," Amy giggled, speaking into Rory's shoulder, "Most of the people he saves fall for him."  
>"What was that?" Arthur questioned.<br>"Oh nothing." the pond replied.  
>Arthur looked back at Merlin and the doctor. Merlin was smiling as they walked, the doctor entertaining him with god knows what. Arthur didn't like this feeling. It made his stomach sting and burn. He though maybe he'd be a little sick. He clenched at his tunic and wished he had a cloak to hide himself in.<p> 


	4. Seeing Doubbles

At first, Merlin was shocked that the strange man knew so much about him. But he accepted it, just as he'd accepted every other strange thing in his life.  
>"Can I...can I ask why you're here?" he asked quietly. The Doctor hesitated for a second.<br>"We're here to save lives. Yours, and Gaius', and the lady Morgana."  
>Merlin frowned. "What do you mean?"<br>"The witch finder."  
>That was all the Doctor had to say. Merlin nodded. "I'm not sure how you knew that, but Gaius and I have taken the proper precautions. And as for Morgana, I don't think she has anything to worry about."<br>"You don't know the witch finder. He's ruthless, and does not care about human life. From what I've read, no one has ever survived his accusations. History says that the day after tomorrow, he accuses Gaius of sorcery. After several days of physical and psychological torture, he confesses. Then he turns his finger to you and the king's ward. There is so much evidence against them that the king cannot question it. Morgana and Gaius are burnt at the stake, but you-you are beheaded. Why is that?"  
>"I think I know why," Rory volunteered. The Doctor spun around and walked backwards as he talked to his companion. "When I, um, skimmed over Ar-Kay's journal, I read a page. Or two. He was talking about the evidence laid against Merlin, and he mentioned a witness who saw him heal after being burned in a fireplace. They apparently didn't want to chance him coming back."<br>Arthur's mood worsened. These people knew things about his life that he had yet to discover. And they were discussing the death of his friend like it was a trivial matter. They weren't there; they hadn't seen the blade cut through Merlin's neck. Hadn't watched the blood drip from the block as people watched in silence.  
>He was never going to be able to erase those images from his mind.<br>Merlin glanced back at the strange boy. Kay, his name was. He looked so familiar...  
>He brought his attention back to the Doctor. He was strange, but Merlin liked him. "Where did you say you were from?"<br>"I didn't," the Doctor smiled. "We're from the future. Mostly."  
>"Mostly? What does that mean?"<br>"Never mind that. We need to figure out a way to save you."

The five of them made their way to the fields just outside town and found a grassy knoll to sit on. Arthur was annoyed that Merlin sat right next to the Doctor, barely sparing him a glance. He wanted Merlin to smile at him like that.  
>"Kay, I need to see the journal."<br>Arthur frowned and put his hand to the small of his back where his journal was tucked into his pants. "Why?"  
>The Doctor sighed with frustration, "Why can't anyone just do what I say without question?" he complained to the sky. "I need to know what evidence is used against them. That journal has the records."<br>Arthur reluctantly handed it over and watched as the Doctor leafed through the ancient pages. "Here we are."  
>Merlin leaned forward to look at the book. "What is this?"<p>

"The journal of King Arthur. It's from the future, so no peeking! Spoilers!" Leaning backwards, he picked a spot and started to read out loud.

The words he read-they had been cycling through his head for the past few days, but he hadn't written them down yet. "'The witch finder accused Merlin first. He was a witness to the bewitched smoke, but swore he saw nothing. I could not believe that Merlin was a practitioner. I was so confident that they would find nothing but Merlin's filthy room. He never could clean properly. But then the jar toppled off the shelf, revealing the enchanted cuff. Gaius claimed that it was his, and they took him in for questioning. I do not know what he went through down in the dungeon, but he said something to implicate both Merlin and Morgana. He said Gaius had corrupted them, and they both died.' Hang on, skimming over personal comments...Ah. 'Gaius had three witnesses, his confession, and the cuff against him. I know Merlin tried to clear his name, but he got caught, and that made him look guilty. Then they found a small spellbook under his bed. Two witnesses came to testify against him, and his fate was sealed. I could do nothing but watch as the...' Oh. No, you don't want to hear that."

Arthur closed his eyes, picturing the scene the Doctor was skipping. It seemed to run across his mind every few minutes... Shaking himself, Arthur pitched his voice lower. If the Doctor hadn't told Merlin yet, then Arthur would try to keep his identity a secret too. "Are you a sorcerer?" he asked his servant. He had had suspicions for a while, but he had no proof of his own.

Merlin glanced at the Doctor before he nodded. He could trust these people; he could feel it.  
>As he was nodding, he caught sight of Kay's eyes. They were such a beautiful blue...just like... "Arthur," he said suddenly. The others looked shocked.<br>"W-what?" Arthur asked, startled. Merlin stood and stalked forward, crouching in front of him. Arthur held his breath. They were so close...  
>"I know those eyes," Merlin said, glaring. "What are you doing here?"<p>

Arthur couldn't really control himself. He flung his arms around Merlin, pulling him in for a desperate hug. "Merlin!"  
>"Uhh, Arthur, I think you-" the Doctor tried to interject.<br>"Arthur, what are you doing here with...umm..." Merlin started, but wasn't exactly sure how to finish.  
>The Doctor stepped in. "This is Arthur, but he's not the Arthur you know right now. This is Arthur from the future."<br>Merlin seemed a little taken back. "Why's he hugging me like this?"  
>Arthur pulled back, but kept his head tilted slightly downward. Merlin could tell this wasn't his proud prat of a prince. "What's wrong?"<p>

"He can't tell you much, sorry, universal yada-yada, wibbly wobbly, timey wimey... stuff."  
>Amy took hold of Rory's hand, seemingly saddened by the little scene.<br>"Alright," the Doctor clapped his hands together in attempt to push away the awkward moment, "We need to get to work."

Thanks to Merlin and Arthur, sneaking into the castle was easy. Slipping past guards, avoiding the present-day prince, the gang spent the next half hour running through corridors and making sure that things didn't happen like the journal said. They pulled the amulet from the jar, and stole the eye-drop bottles from the man in the cosmetic store. Women didn't have hallucinations, Gaius was never found with the amulet, and the witch finder had nothing to pin on anyone.

Arthur was on his way down a hall when he saw himself strutting in his direction. Ducking behind a post, he held his breath as he passed. He had just turned to go when the other him turned as well. "You there! What are you doing?"  
>Cursing under his breath, Arthur ran. His past self gave chase.<p>

Arthur sped down the corridor, the prince in hot pursuit. If he weren't preoccupied, he would have laughed at the image in his head.  
>Tearing around a corner, he managed to slip into an alcove and hide until the other sped by.<br>When he finally joined the others at the TARDIS he was out of breath.  
>"What happened to you?" the pond girl asked.<p>

"I was just chased... by myself... through my own... castle," he huffed.  
>Amy and Rory started laughing, imagining the scene like a hallway chase episode of Scooby-doo.<br>Merlin stared. He couldn't help but like this Arthur- he seemed a little more gentle and softer then his Arthur, definitely a bit more of a comedian. Was that wrong? He knew he had feelings for Arthur, but this guy... he was Arthur too, right? It wasn't wrong to like him or anything.

Right?


	5. Faux Prince

Arthur grinned at his servant boy. They had done it! Merlin would live. Now they could live to fulfill his journal's promises. They would...be together.  
>Merlin caught the prince staring at him. There was just something about this version of his Arthur that drew him in. Was it wrong to prefer this more mature Arthur? His prince, even though they were friends, didn't show any romantic interest. And he wanted more. This Arthur could give him that.<br>He stepped closer to the dirty blond. "Hey, Arthur," he started, "now that we...um, adverted this crisis, what are you going to do?"  
>Arthur caught the boy's hand and pulled him closer. "I do not know for certain, but right now... I am going to kiss you."<br>Merlin's heart skipped a beat and his breath caught. His prince leaned in close, and their lips met. The kiss was soft and gentle.

That's when the doctor popped up, quite inconveniently, "You! Stop that now!" he yelled, pushing them apart, "wha- what do you think you're doing exactly?"  
>The Ponds followed behind, interested in the noisy scene. "We- we were just-"<br>"What's the problem?!" Arthur declared, quite bothered.  
>"The problem, Arthur, is that you've just messed with the timelines! You and Merlin can NOT be together!"<br>Everyone was silent for a few moments, just staring at each other, Arthur's face rapidly filling with anger. "What do you mean we can't be together?!" he demanded, "The reason we're here is so save him so that I-"  
>Arthur stopped himself. He was never meant to go back was he? His Merlin wasn't who he saved, he saved the past Arthur's Merlin. His head pounded, his heart raced. His stomach hurt. "You-"<br>"Arthur just calm down."  
>"Why don't I get a happy ending Doctor!? Why did I come back to save Merlin if-"<br>"Arthur..." the Doctor attempted to soothe, "Arthur you have to understand, crossing the timelines like that... it could potentially have a huge impact on anything that was supposed to come from it in the future. I'm sorry, but you have to just accept it."  
>Arthur felt betrayed, hurt, and angry. He clenched at his sword, "I want to go home."<br>Merlin didn't say much, but watched Arthur sadly. He trusted his prince more than anyone, even if this 'Doctor' knew he was Emrys... It wasn't enough to make his betray Arthur. "I-" he started, "I may just be causing trouble, but I wish to follow Arthur."  
>"No, no, no, no!" the Doctor frowned, waving his hands in the air in frustration. "You two can't fall in love! Arthur and Merlin are the two that must be together-you can't cross timelines like that. What would you say to the real Arthur?"<p>

"I AM the real Arthur!" the prince replied, irritated, "and in case you haven't noticed, we ARE Arthur and Merlin we're in love. So-"  
>"You! You, you're brilliant!" The Doctor interrupted, grabbing his face and forcing a kiss onto his forehead.<br>Arthur wiped the saliva from his head, a disgusted expression on his face. "What?"  
>"I mean, it's crazy... but it just might work."<br>Amelia stepped up, smiling to the Doctor, "What might work?"  
>"These two! I mean, after Arthur died, he became a wiser man you could say, somewhat more mature." he smiled to the prince, "No offence."<br>"Doctor what could work?" the Pond repeated.  
>"We need to get to the past Arthur. This needs to be sorted. Merlin, you come with me! Amy, Rory, watch Arthur and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!" he yelled, halfway out the door, dragging Merlin along behind him.<p>

The Doctor pulled Merlin along through the forest, "Doctor, what are we doing!?"  
>"The Arthur back in Camelot, does he love you?" the Doctor asked.<br>"Well..."  
>"Merlin!"<br>"No. No he doesn't." he replied, somewhat saddened.  
>The doctor stopped momentarily to turn to him, "If I'm right, and I'm always right, then the Arthur in legend, the one that is supposed to love you and potentially change the world is the one sitting in my TARDIS. This Arthur is a fraud. It's what set all the wheels off motion!"<p>

"What do you mean, he's a fraud?"  
>"A fake. A faux prince. Here, read this bit here." The Doctor shoved a leather-bound book at him while pulling another from his pocket.<br>"This?" Merlin questioned. "This is-" He blushed a bit, adverting his eyes from the pages. "This is Arthur's private journal. His personal thoughts."  
>"I know, and I'm pretty sure he'll forgive you...If you fail to mention it. But that page describes him watching as you are beheaded. Were beheaded. And this book-" he shoved the book into Merlin's face- "is the witch finder's documentary of that moment. He specifically mentioned seeing the prince watch as it happened. From the courtyard."<br>"But-"  
>The Doctor shoved that book into his pocket and pulled out a new one. How big were his pockets? "And this book talks about Arthur's reign. He is worse then his father-he eradicates all magic, and brings about the fall of Camelot. But that journal-his personal journal-talks about how he ruled after your death. It was different. So, how do you have two conflicting histories?"<br>Merlin thought for a moment, then guessed, "One of them is a lie?"  
>"No. Possibly. But not in this case." He took the journal from Merlin's hands and pointed to a rune imprinted on the inside cover. "What is this?"<br>"A spell," Merlin breathed, running his fingers over the symbol. His eyes flashed gold for a second. "What does it do?"  
>"I'm not entirely certain, but I think that a wizard from this timeline sent it to the library for us to find. That means that the real Arthur has been...killed, and replaced with a fake. Maybe a skin-changer or an alien in a flesh suit. That means we have to lure the fake out of the castle, away from the guards, so we can change him out for the real Arthur."<br>"And how are we going to do that?" Merlin demanded as they strode to the city walls.  
>"You and I are going to use magic in front of him and taunt him into giving chase. We'll lead him back to the TARDIS."<br>"You can do magic?" Merlin asked, surprised.  
>The Doctor pulled a stick out of his pocket (seriously, how much could one guy fit in his pockets?) and flipped the top open so it glowed green. "How about a magic wand?" he grinned mischievously. Merlin laughed with him, and they stepped into Camelot together.<p> 


	6. A Love to Outlast Time

"I still don't see why I couldn't go along with-"

"Because the Doctor said so." Rory interrupted, rather out of character.

Arthur smirked, "You suddenly grew a pair."

"I will shoot you." he replied.

Amelia stepped in, "Boys, boys calm down. The Doctor said we needed to watch you and make sure you didn't do anything stupid..." she smiled a devilish little smile, making Arthur perk up.

"So..." he started.

"So we're going after him." she winked, "Still following the Doctor's orders just... on the playful side."

"Amelia Pond! I could kiss you!"

Rory glared, "Again, I will shoot you."

Arthur smiled, "No need to fear Pond, for my heart lies elsewhere."

With a skip in their step, the trio was out the door and trotting for Camelot. The Ponds ran hand in hand as Arthur leapt and bound, bursting with excitement. "If we hurry we can reach them before they reach the Castle!" Arthur yelled back to them.

Amy smiled to Rory, "I do love it when you get all protective of me."

"I would've lost you to some alien or other ancient hero a long time ago if I didn't." They chuckled as they ran, struggling to keep up with Arthur's high spirit.

The Doctor and Merlin had plenty of trouble finding 'Arthur'. No one had seen him since the time they'd run into him earlier. They had just crept into Arthur's bedchamber when they heard someone outside the doors. The Doctor ducked behind the curtains while Merlin rolled under the bed. Breaths held, they listened as the door creaked open.

"Are you sure you saw them come in here?"  
>Merlin cursed in his head. That was Arthur's voice. They'd been seen! What were they going to do now? There was no escape, and he couldn't consult the Doctor from where he was.<p>

The only thing left to do was use his magic. He started a spell under his breath, preparing to knock the intruders out...  
>"Rory, stay out of those weapons! You could hurt yourself."<br>All the breath in his lungs escaped when he heard Amy's voice. It was his Arthur. He slithered out from under the bed just as the Doctor flung the curtains apart.

"You had one job, Ponds! Why don't you ever listen?" he demanded crossly.  
>Merlin stepped up to his prince while the others were busy and took his hands. "You followed us."<br>"Yes," Arthur admitted sheepishly. "It was Amy's idea though."  
>The wizard stole a fleeting kiss. He was never going to tire of his new privilege.<p>

"Good," he whispered. "I'm glad you came; I can't imagine doing this without you."

They listened as the time-travelers bickered. Amy finally calmed her best friend down, and he came up with a new plan.

"I think what we need is bait. Arthur, we'll dress you up as you usually are, then have you walk around the castle. The fake will have~ to come find you if it needs you dead. Any objections?"

"No." Merlin retorted, "That's too dangerous." he tightened his grip on Arthur's hands.  
>"Merlin, it's okay."<br>"There's no way I'm letting you do this Arthur!" he demanded.  
>Arthur grinned, "You were always looking out for me weren't you?" he leaned his head into Merlin's.<br>"If I didn't god knows where you'd be..."

Amy pulled the Doctor aside, "Doctor," she started, "They do understand that it's not really... the same Arthur or the same Merlin, right?"  
>"Pond." he smiled, ruffling her hair, "These two have a love to outlast time itself. It's the same boy in their eyes, and that's all that matters."<br>"But, have you ever heard of something like this? You know, falling in love with someone that's only partially the person-"  
>"Yes. Yes I have. I think it's fine." the Doctor seemed saddened.<br>"Who was it?"

There was a long, silent pause as the man stared at her. He looked so sad, "It was me."  
>Amy flinched, "You?"<br>"I had a different face back then, and Rose... well..."  
>"Rose? Doctor, who's Rose?"<br>There was another pause "Nobody... That's not the point. The point is that to them, it's the same person, just more within their reach. Same memories, same face, speech, posture, no matter it's all the same." he seemed to be staring off into nowhere, his eyes dull and lifeless, "Sometimes it's even better."

Amy watched as the Doctor turned abruptly, bounding back to the other two, seemingly un-phased, but she knew better. The Doctor was always like that, looking out for everybody else even if that meant he was hurting. There was still so much she didn't know about him. Was he always in that much pain?

"Alright!" the Doctor grinned, "Are we going to do this or do we need to think up a new plan, potentially loosing everything we've been working for?"

Merlin and Arthur were given some time to talk it over. The prince managed to convince his servant that it would be alright. He had plenty of experience in protecting himself...  
>"And besides," he whispered, "I have an all-powerful wizard watching my back. What could go wrong?"<p>

The Doctor and the Ponds exited the room while Merlin helped his prince change. They didn't get very far before they started kissing. Merlin really was very distracting when he was undressing him. Eventually, they managed to get Arthur clean and dressed in his normal princely outfit. They joined the others in the hall, carefully keeping their faces blank. The Doctor looked at them knowingly, but said nothing. They snuck into the empty throne room.

"Rory, Amy. I need you to spread the word among the servants that Prince Arthur is in here. Be subtle about it! Merlin and I will hide back here. Arthur, you sit on your throne."

"That's it?" the prince demanded. "I just sit here, doing nothing?" He already hated the idea-he was a man of action, not waiting!  
>Merlin placed a calming hand on Arthur's arm. "It's only for a while, Arthur."<p>

It wasn't more then an hour, but Arthur could barely contain himself within the walls. His impatience was unsettling and Merlin continually had to hold himself back from going to him. It was a luxury to have Arthur as his, and it was intoxicating not to have him. It bugged him a little that the prat he knew before was dead, but this was still Arthur, if not an improved version of him. It was more then he could have prayed for.

Finally, the doors opened, and a nervous looking prince stared at the one sitting on the throne. The game was on.


	7. World Domination

Merlin and the Doctor were both out of sight, taking shelter in the large red curtains behind the throne. Once the other Arthur entered and saw his double alone, he straightened, as if gathering new confidence. "Who are you?" he demanded haughtily.

The other prince stood, staring regally at the impostor. "I am Arthur, Prince of Camelot."  
>The false prince sneered. "I killed Arthur with my own hands. What sort of sorcery is this?"<br>"Doctor?" Merlin whispered anxiously, "What do we do?"

"Merlin?"  
>"Yes?"<br>"Can you lock the door by chance?"  
>The boy smirked before he started muttering. The door slammed shut, making both the princes jump. When the fake turned to it, he jiggled the handle, near growling when he couldn't open it. "Damn it!" he cursed.<p>

Arthur lifted his head high when his clone turned to him. "What did you need with my body?"  
>"Answer my question first. How are you alive?"<br>"I'm not the Arthur you murdered."  
>There was a short pause, the second Arthur frowning before suddenly lighting up with a smile, "So then, are you a Flinx too?"<br>Merlin turned to the doctor, whispering, "A what?"  
>The Doctor looked horrified. "Flinx..."<br>Arthur was hesitant to reply, "And if I am?"  
>The Flinx was still smiling. He slapped a hand to Arthur's upper arm, "Then we should be sticking together on this. What did the master send you for?" then his smile faded. He looked terrified, "He isn't replacing me is he?"<br>Arthur took pity on the monster for a moment, shaking his head, "N-no..."  
>Relief, "Then why are you on Earth? and in the prince's body. It's dangerous."<br>Arthur blinked. He hadn't thought where to go with the conversation. "Well, you see..."

The Doctor stepped out from the curtain, his tone commanding as he spoke, "He's here on MY orders."  
>The Flinx stepped back, "Who are you?"<br>Merlin, being told to stay behind in the curtain, listened silently. He didn't know what to do. He was always the one to save Arthur... and he'd never had to deal with this kind of thing. It was a new sort of magic entirely. It confused him, and that scared him.

The Doctor pointed at himself. "You don't know who I~ am?" he demanded, outraged. "I am Shix Halberd the Third, High Commander of the Fifth Regiment."  
>The other Arthur's eyes bulged. Immediately, his hand came up and he saluted the Doctor. "M-my apologies, sir!"<br>The Doctor turned, pleased with himself, and aimed his smile in Merlin's direction. The wizard was confused, but he figured that the madman was posing as a...as a Flinx, or whatever they were. In all of his research, Merlin had never come across that name.  
>The Doctor sat in the throne as if he were king, legs elegantly crossed, hands gripping the arms. Arthur stood to the side, frowning a little at the trespass.<p>

The faux Arthur looked eager to run. Who was the Doctor impersonating? "There's no way to escape. The doors have been locked." the Doctor's voice was dark and cold, making both the prince and Warlock hold back shivers, "Now," the Doctor continued, looking bored. He lifted a hand to examine his nails. "What I want to know is what you and your master are doing in my territory."  
>The alien flinched and paled. "Y-your territory? I-I wasn't aware that it was-"<br>"Your master did," he replied dangerously, "and I take challenges to my power very seriously. Who. Is. Your. Master?"

The Flinx hesitated, "S-sir..."  
>"Who is your master?"<br>Arthur glared at his clone, he himself, just as confused.

"My master wished to remain anonymous... but I'm sure if you just contacted him he'd-"  
>"Enough about him." The doctor interrupted, standing suddenly. He took a few steps toward the Flinx, who had started to cower, "I want to know what you're doing in my territory solider."<br>The fake prince bowed his head, "Sir, I've been sent on a mission to exterminate the young warlock. In hopes to impact the future to the advantage of the Flinx empire." he lifted his head, seemingly proud.  
>Arthur bit back his growl. This... thing, was proud that he'd been sent to kill Merlin?<p>

The Doctor raised a questioning eyebrow, "How so?"  
>The Flinx frowned, sending concerned looks their way, "I'd assume you'd know sir..."<br>"Did I stutter soldier?" The doctor scowled. "I'm aware they impact the human's future immensely, but how does killing them create an advantage?"  
>With choppy speech, he continued, "Well, he and the king start the evolution of homosexuals on earth..."<br>"We're aware." Arthur interjected, trying to have some strong base point in the conversation.  
>A nervous gulp, "Well, eliminating them would ensure that the practice never becomes accepted. Our statistics prove, that less then 40% of suicides on earth revolve around homosexuals. If it's never accepted, that rate expands to over 90% also adding on to youth suicides and dramatic family groups. With more suicides climbing over the years, less families will be born and-"<br>"And the human race extinguishes itself."  
>"Our studies conclude that by the year 3000 Earth will have an overall population of less then 5000. Less than 10% of that counting for overall military members. The planet will be easy pickings for the Flinx empire, and the race can continue its existence by producing new colonies. The humans will also be an expendable race of laborers to our species."<br>"You intend to make them slaves." The Doctor replied.

Merlin clasped a hand over his mouth. These aliens were geniuses... cruel geniuses that intended to destroy the world. He paused to think. He and Arthur were really the ones to start the world up? If they weren't together the Earth would... die. Merlin took a deep breath. He and Arthur were carrying, quite literally, the weight of the world on their shoulders.

"Yes," the Flinx responded proudly. "My master is intelligent and ran stimulation after stimulation until he found the source. Right now, he is preparing the invasion force for the future. Thousands of soldiers."  
>"Who authorized this invasion?" the Doctor demanded.<br>"I-I don't know."  
>"Very well," the Doctor frowned. He stealthily took his sonic from his pocket and hid it behind his back. "Contact your master. Now."<br>The Flinx pulled a transmitter out, pressing a couple of buttons. A hologram of a cloaked man appeared above the device, flickering a little. "What is it, servant?" it growled. The alien prepared to answer-  
>But the Doctor pressed a button on his sonic, reversing the transmission. A second later, the man from the hologram appeared. He spun around in angry confusion until he laid eyes on the Doctor.<br>"What is the meaning of this?" he snarled. "Who are you?"  
>"I am Shix Halberd the Third, High Commander of the Flinx Army," the Doctor announced. "State your name and rank."<br>The man's face was shielded by his hood, but Merlin could swear his lip curled. "I am Covard Opic, Captain of the Stragerd."  
>"A ship captain," the Doctor murmured. He stepped dangerously close to the alien. "What makes you think you can make these decisions on your own?"<br>Opic straightened. "This is for the good of our race," he snarled. "I need no permission."

The Doctor was getting angry, "You, will obey my authority."  
>Opic was silent for a few minutes before starting to chuckle. "You have no authority over me sir."<br>"I am-"  
>"Yes." he interrupted, "I know who you claim to be. however, the problem with that is that Halberd is right now with the Flinx nation, not leading small claim missions such as this. I spoke with him only moments ago."<br>Merlin was nervous, Arthur's eyes widened.  
>"So..." Opic continued, "The question is sir, who are <em>you<em>?"


	8. To Watch You Die Again

The Doctor turned to face Arthur and Merlin, still hidden behind the curtain. "Run," he said calmly. Arthur darted for Merlin, pulling him along to the door at the far end of the room. The Flinx had a small gun hidden in his costume, one that he pulled on the trio, firing as they ran. Past the door, Merlin uttered a few words and his eyes glowed. The door slammed shut and locked. The Doctor led them down the corridor with haste.  
>"What now?" Arthur demanded as they rounded a corner.<br>The Doctor thought quickly as they moved. "We need to get Opic out of the game. He's the puppet master. Without him, his play falls apart."  
>The prince's hand instinctively fell to the hilt of his sword.<br>"No! Nonono," the Doctor frowned, shaking his head violently. "No killing!"  
>"Why not? They've killed-"<br>"That's the point," the Doctor interrupted. He stopped running and placed a hand on the blonde's arm. "If we kill them, we're no better than they are. We have to be superior beings and find a way to resolve things peaceably."  
>Arthur scoffed at that. He'd seen many a conflict resolved through good battles. But if that was how he wanted to go about saving the world...He was the expert, after all.<br>"So what's our plan?" Merlin asked, glancing back at the way they had come. The hall was empty.  
>"We need to lock them up. I know a good prison, protected by the Shadow Proclamation. That should-"<br>The Doctor's plans we interrupted as a form blindsided Arthur. He went down, tangled in red cloak. Chain mail clashed together as the two men rolled. Arthur's head came up. The man underneath him rolled, flipping the prince under his body, and-  
>Arthur's head came up.<br>"It's the Flinx!" Merlin gasped, turning to the Doctor. He was busy pointing his sonic screwdriver at a floating metal object. "What is that?"  
>"An assassin drone. I've disabled it," he replied as it clattered to the stone floor. They turned to help the prince, but came face to face with two identically dressed Arthur's doing battle.<br>"Doctor...what do we do now?"

"Assassin drones, Warlocks, and doppelgangers.. oh my!" The Doctor grinned to himself.  
>The two princes fought, swords slashing about the air, echoing through the hallway.<br>"Doctor..." Merlin started. "How do we tell who's the real one?"  
>"Weren't you watching?"<br>"I looked away to see you! That bloody assassin drone?"  
>The Doctor paused, "He was expecting this. Planned it. Oh, that's very clever indeed."<br>"Doctor!"  
>"Right. Right. Well, you're the one that's a warlock. Any magic?"<br>"Because I just happen to own a wizard guide book that tells you how to find your prince boyfriend when he and his alien twin are in the middle of a fight to the death!"  
>"Alright, calm down. We'll just need another way of telling..."<br>The princes were tiring, drawing back more often to catch breaths. Merlin watched intensely. He'd seen the prince train nearly everyday for years. "Why am I having trouble seeing which one had Arthur's fighting pattern?"  
>A few more of Opic's drones rounded the hallway corner. "Look out!" The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at a drone, which immediately fell to the floor. Merlin took out the other.<br>"You can't see a pattern because they both have it." The Doctor answered.  
>"What?"<p>

More drones rushed in, the clusters growing stronger in number with each arrival.  
>"Keep in mind we've no idea just how long this Flinx has been here. He's literally become Arthur. There's no difference."<br>Merlin slashed his drone down before turning to look at the princes. "There is a difference."  
>"What?"<br>Merlin gripped the Doctor's arm, "As soon as you know who the fake is, you kill him. Understand?"  
>"Merlin-"<br>Merlin pushed the Doctor, who fell onto his back as a new wave of drones appeared. Merlin didn't fight them off, just raised his arms out. Ready to be killed. The Doctor screamed upon understanding, "Merlin, NOOO!"  
>A drone shot him, and Merlin fell.<br>The world seemed to slow for Arthur. He watched Merlin die. Again. "Merlin!" He cried.  
>Consumed with rage, he slashed at the Flinx, sword slicing through it's arm. The Flinx drew back, and Arthur ran to his beloved. Only partially noticing the Doctor, who covered them with his screwdriver as he turned to chase the Flinx. The world was slow... agonizingly slow. Sparks flew around them, a few drones combusting. Arthur cried as he lifted Merlin into his lap, burying his face in the boy's hair. "You cannot die on me again! I won't let you! Wake up Merlin! Wake up this instant!" he begged.<p>

But... Merlin didn't wake up.


	9. The Roman Nurse

The Doctor used his sonic to drop a drone on the Flix's head. It was surprisingly heavy and knocked the alien unconscious. The Doctor stood a respectful distance from the grieving prince and thought, That boy sacrificed everything for us. (- Italicize this). Now they didn't have to worry for the future, since the aliens' plan was crumbling apart...but Arthur had lost the man he loved.  
>And that impacted the future. There would be no Merlin standing faithfully by the king, two sides of the same coin, ruling fairly and justly.<br>He had to try to save the wizard.  
>Kneeling respectfully, he pulled out his sonic and was about to scan the boy when Amy and Rory turned the corner.<br>"What happened?" Amy cried. The Ponds rushed forward.  
>"Ah, Rory the Roman is a nurse!" the Doctor remembered, slapping his forehead. "Rory, come here. Amy, grab the tassel off that drape and help me tie him up."<br>Rory knelt by the blond, asking "What happened?" as he got to work.  
>"He-he was..." The prince could find no words to describe what had happened to his friend. A metal ball had thrown a beam of red light that had killed Merlin. Before, he would have called that sorcery. Now, after meeting the Doctor, he wasn't so sure.<br>"He was shot by a drone," the Doctor informed him.  
>Rory placed a couple of fingers on the side of Merlin's neck. The moments stretched on, second by agonizing second.<br>"He's got a pulse!"

With Amy securing the Flinx and propping him up against the side wall, the rest of the gang bustled about Merlin's body, slipping a balled up curtain beneath his head before Rory attempted CPR. Arthur sat back, stunned. He'd never seen someone try to revive an unconscious person this way, and for a moment he thought the man would crush Merlin's ribs. However, the air in Merlin's lungs started moving again. He snapped back to reality, wailing in pain, Rory tightening the fasten over his upper shoulder.  
>"It missed your heart by inches. You're lucky."<br>Arthur reached to hug the boy before he remembered his injuries, fighting against himself. "I'm forever thankful sir."  
>Rory nodded, "Being personally thanked by prince Arthur... I think that's a step up from putting Hitler in the cupboard."<p>

The Doctor grinned, "I married the queen. Beat that."  
>Amy wandered over, taking her place at Rory's side happily before smiling down at the scene. The blow had rendered Merlin unconscious, and knocked the wind from his lungs. All he needed now was some proper treatment, and time. Amy once more grabbed her husband's hand, placing a light kiss on his cheek.<p>

Peace restored, the Ponds helped drag the Flinx into the T.A.R.D.I.S. Arthur helping Merlin along the path as they conversed with The Doctor. Merlin was the first to question, "What about Opic?"

"He and his men are in violation of the laws of the Shadow Proclamation. We'll take this one to their headquarters and the matter will dispose of itself. Until that time, you and Arthur need to remain safe. It shouldn't be too long, or that difficult, but be on lookout none the less." he informed.

The prince and his wizard waved goodbye before sharing a passionate kiss, Arthur propping Merlin up over his own body, never letting him fall. Amy and Rory followed their example, and shared their own. The Doctor smiled. Saving the day was his specialty. Meeting Arthur was a treat as well. He and Merlin, a love to outlast time.

Just this once, everybody lives.


End file.
